CRATE are pleased to announce a call out for applicants for a Collaborative Research Group, an alternative education programme conceived of as an MA in Doing.
Collaborative Research Group will bring together a group of 6 regional arts practitioners (artists, curators, organisers, writers, researchers and thinkers) based in Kent who are interested in collaborative working and the pluralities of contemporary visual art practice (producing, curating, organising, writing, etc.).
When composers and writers collaborate, what comes first – the words or music? To help understand this, UCF will host a conversation between Mariam Al-Roubi, singer, songwriter and librettist for the opera Mirabai, and its composer, Barry Seaman, on Monday, June 17th at 2.30pm.
How does a creative work, such as an opera, develop from idea to tangible form through musical and written language? What is it like to adapt original text to produce a libretto? How do you ensure that you honour the original text (the opera subject, Mirabai, was herself a mystic poet, musician and dancer from 16th century Rajasthan). How do you integrate newly written poetry? How does a composer work with a writer? How is it different to working on an album? These questions will be explored and the dynamics of creative minds working together discussed, using musical examples.
About the speakers
Barry studied at York University, specialising in composition, and works have been produced and commissioned in most media, with broadcasts on Radio 3 and his music for silent films Tsar Ivan Vasilyevitch Grozny (Alexander Ivanov-Gai 1915) and The Life of Richard Wagner (Carl Froelich 1913) was widely toured in the USA. He has a special interest in music as a healing process. His most recent project is Mirabai, a large scale multimedia opera that combines ancient spiritual and romantic ideas with astonishing technology in collaboration with Musion Systems.
Mariam is a classically trained singer, dancer, musician and poet. Whilst writing the libretto for Mirabai, she is also working on a number of projects, including her studio album. She studied BA (Hons) Music Technology at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance.
About Mirabai
Mirabai is the third of a trilogy. The first two pieces were large-scale choral works: The Consoling Song (words in Sanskrit from the Bhagavad Gita; commissioned by The Brighton Singers and first performed in Brighton UK 2002) and Bhajans (words by Nimisha Patel and Elizabeth Newman; commissioned by The Madrigal Choir of Binghamton and first performed in Binghamton NY USA 2007).
In March 2013, The Lake, and Petals, two excerpts from Mirabai, were premiered by the Ealing Symphony Orchestra and the Krishna Dance was shown as part of the annual Kinetica Art Fair in London, presented by the Musion Academy. A short film of the Krishna dance scene has been produced, and directed by acclaimed film director, Tony Palmer.
The event takes place at the University Centre Folkestone, Mill Bay, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1JG. It is free to attend but advance booking is essential.
Please contact jane.seaman@canterbury.ac.uk or ring 01303 760600.
The ice cream melted on her hand
What a milky sticky mess
But it tasted so good
That it took away the senses
Of the time it was nice
That’s why at Christmas he received an orange
And if just one time we do not
We must try again, lest we let the chance slip by.
This is a collective poem from the Literary Potlatch, written by the participants on the day, with each of them only able to see the previous line. At present, the image accompanying it is a stock photo but we would really love someone to respond to the poem visually, as only an original image can possibly do it justice. Full credit will of course be given. Please email rochesterlitfest@gmail.com if you’re interested in creating something special we can share. Thank you. 
And here’s today’s Medway Monday linky, please feel free to share your blog.
The Sparky Project, an offshoot of the Imagination Your Nation initiative, has several opportunities coming up as part of their commitment to develop and deliver a wide choice of creative activities to the community. The workshops will give local people the chance to experience, hands on, the art and craft involved in producing the two main character structures for the Fuse Festival Opening Parade.
Half Term Family Workshops: Thursday, May 30th and Friday, May 31st from 11am – 1pm
http://sparkyprojecthalfterm.eventbrite.co.uk/
An Evening of Making: Parade Stuctures (over 18s) Wednesday, May 29th and Thursday, May 30th 6.30pm – 9.30pm http://sparkyprojectevening.eventbrite.co.uk/
Creative Workshop @ Medway Deaf Club: Tuesday, May 28th and Saturday, June 1st 12noon – 4pm.
http://sparkyprojectmdc.eventbrite.co.uk/
They are currently also looking to provide several volunteer opportunities to assist with the delivery of this year’s Opening Parade production. http://vinspired.com/organisations/8289-the-sparky-project
The Sparky Project is a not for profit art organisation based in Medway, who aim to offer wider participation in the creative arts, by providing hands on experiences with professional artists of all genres. Working with schools, community groups, volunteering agencies and professional creatives, they offer opportunities for everybody, irrespective of skill level.
For more information about the Sparky Project and how to get involved visit www.sparkyproject.co.uk
When Medway Little Theatre’s Katie Foster performs as Rosalind in As You Like It for the Oxford Shakespeare Company (OSC) next weekend, she will be fulfilling a lifelong dream.
The 28-year-old Chatham-born actress will not only be performing in the hit Shakespeare play at London’s RADA Studios, but she will also deliver her role outside the world-famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon, in the space of just four days.
Higham Writers will be holding their fifth showcase on Friday, June 14th, at Higham Library from 7.30pm.
The programme includes a selection of readings from members, featuring plays, anecdotes and memoirs, all aimed at providing an entertaining evening for the audience.
Photo: Kaleidoscope Collection. Ink 2013. Hand and computer generated images, digitally printed cotton sateen, 100x100cm Neil Bottle
Neil Bottle’s exquisite new Kaleidoscope series of printed textiles explores the relationship between digital textile printing and craft printing techniques and has been created especially for this solo exhibition at Rochester Art Gallery.
To find out more about this exhibition, which runs from tomorrowe, May 17th to July 14th, please visit Rochester Art Gallery & Craft case exhibitions and activities.
Craft Case
Medway based milliner Zara Carpenter, makes unique bespoke sculptural headpieces and ready-to-wear hats, using found objects. Inspired by nature, 1920s design, Dutch still life paintings, fantasy books and films, Zara’s beautiful pieces are wearable works of art.
Activities
Free Family Collage Workshops
Saturday, 29 June, 10.30am to 12.30pm or 1.30 to 3.30pm.
Join Fashion Textile students from UCA throughout the day, to create a collage inspired by the geometric patterns, colours and images used in the Kaleidoscope collection. Suitable for accompanied children aged seven years or older.
Free artist talk
Saturday, 6 July, 1 to 2.30pm
Join textile designer Neil Bottle for an informal gallery talk and exhibition tour. Find out more about how he creates his unique richly layered digital images, his inspiration, techniques and his new Kaleidoscope collection.
Advance booking is essential as places are limited. Phone 01634 338319 or email arts@medway.gov.uk
For more information about Rochester Art Gallery and Craft Case please visit www.medway.gov.uk/arts phone 01634 338319 or email arts@medway.gov.uk.
Rochester Art Gallery and Craft Case, Medway Visitor Information Centre, Ground Floor, 95 High Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1LX.
As the dawn treader walks hallowed ground
The mist scattered around his footsteps
Imprints left passing memories with each step
Striding into the future
Swirling and spiralling, finding the floor with a thump
I look up and wonder where I am
To see the blue sky above
It filled my heart with joy.
This is a collective poem from the Literary Potlatch, written by the participants on the day, with each of them only able to see the previous line. At present, the image accompanying it is a stock photo but we would really love someone to respond to the poem visually, as only an original image can possibly do it justice. Full credit will of course be given. Please email rochesterlitfest@gmail.com if you’re interested in creating something special we can share. Thank you.
And here’s today’s Medway Monday linky:
The clinic will be open in Chatham on May the 19th 2013. Book at www.survived.eventbrite.co.uk
A unique theatre experience is taking place at Sun Pier House, Chatham, on the 19th May.
Entitled "Survived", the event is described as "site responsive interactive theatre", which means you as the audience get to walk around the performance taking place throughout the building, and engage with the performers.
To celebrate National Share a Story Month, Kent County Council are running a 100 words competition.
The competition is open to all, and can be about any subject you like. There are four age categories:
You have until May 31st to submit your entry, which you can do so online here, or by post to: 100 word stories c/o Business Support Team, Kent County Council, County Hall, County Road, Maidstone ME14 1 XQ. Please see the Terms and Conditions here.
Winners will receive a £50 book voucher and have their work featured on BBC Radio Kent and in the Kent on Sunday. They and the runners up will also be invited along to an awards ceremony.
I lost my lfe in my second life
A post life where I was free
The sun rose every day anew
A bright etchasketch moment witnessed by the milkman
Two pints. On the doorstep. She’d asked for more.
Just like the day before
I thought I’d seen that couple
Before in a distant land
The old ship lay …
This is a collective poem from the Literary Potlatch, written by the participants on the day, with each of them only able to see the previous line. At present, the image accompanying it is a stock photo but we would really love someone to respond to the poem visually, as only an original image can possibly do it justice. Full credit will of course be given. Please email rochesterlitfest@gmail.com if you’re interested in creating something special we can share. Thank you.
May Day bank holiday weekend brings to us the first of Medway’s major festivals. This is our Artistic Director Phil, with Border Morris side, Wolfshead and Vixen – more photos will follow on Jaye’s blog later, where you can also see pictures from the Jack in the Green Awakening Ceremony on May Day morning.
If you’d like to share a link to your own blog, Youtube or Flickr account, please do so with Mr Linky’s Magical Widget below – particularly if you’ve been out and about during Sweeps, we (and everyone else) would love to seem them
